Here's the story.

I wrecked my IROC about two weeks ago... no mechanical damage, completely exterior stuff. I got a quick estimate done by a good body shop around here and they are saying it'll cost $2200 minimum to fix the damages. Here is a link to my post describing the accident.

After thinking long and hard about my car and my options, I am faced with a decision. I can either sell my car or keep my car (it would be repaired under in both situations). If I chose to sell my car, I would be interested in buying a full-size Chevy from 1960 to 1964.

Here's the reasoning behind me selling my car: I've always wanted to restore an old car, even before I bought my IROC last July. Whenever we found the IROC, though, my thoughts of restoration quickly turned to snatching up such a great deal on a car in such great shape. I'm just thinking that a lot of the "drawbacks" to owning my car could be reduced or removed by buying a different vehicle. Drawbacks including poor winter driving and value to thieves (people love to steal Camaros around here - they'd look at an old Impala and just ask, "why?"). Don't get me wrong, I still love my car. If it were up to me, I'd keep my car and restore a car alongside it, but my mom won't allow me to do that.

I'm considering an early-60's Chevy because they just have that "nostalgia" aspect to them that a car from the 80's doesn't have. Furthermore, I could do a lot more to that kind of car because I won't have to deal with emissions legality. I had planned to do a lot of stuff to my car as far as the engine is concerned, but there's no way it would be legal. Plus, insurance would be lower because I wouldn't be driving a "sports car," according to them. Below is a Photoshopped image of how I would customize this kind of car (probably minus the repaint, though... I can't afford that right now).



In all of your wisdom, please tell me what the ThirdGen.Org members think of my dilemma and decision. Most of my friends think I'm crazy for wanting to sell my car, and rightly so. What would you do?

 

imo i think u should get the impala. old cars are jsut plain awesome! i like old cars because how often do u see a bubble top impala driving down the street? and how often do u see a thirdgen camaro drive down teh street? dont get me wrong cause i love camaros. but old cars are jsut plain cool. im startin to think instead of getting a 91 or 92 z i know a guy with a 63 chevy II that i could prolly get him to sell to me fro cheap. it doesnt have a motor or trany but i have plans either way u go tho i think u will be happy, jsut a little happyer with teh impala. jsut my .02

kolby

plus in the impala all the older people smile and think back to there youth and cheer them up, and im sorry but a thirdgen jsut cant do that.

 

well...if you're worried about your car getting stolen...then an old impala might not be for you. I mean you could hot wire one of those in about 7 seconds.

Plus any car thief thats into the whole "lowrider" scene....which a lot of them are....would just love to get their hands on a car like that.

 

Good point. Still, I don't think I'd have many problems where I live. I remember reading somewhere that you could take something off of the distributor and put it in your pocket, in which case the car could never be started, unless the thieves had a flatbed trailer to haul it away with.

 

Yea you could take the coil wire of rotor off and they couldent start the car but every where ive lived if you had any Impala and a new TA both with keys in the ignition they would steal the impala first and not think twice about it. Its also not uncommon to read in the paper about stolen cars with $1000+ alarm systems that were hauled off by a flatbed truck stripped then burned to the ground.

 

what are you're driving plans???since MOM is involved,i guess you're say under 21??the insurance is alot easier on you for the older car..as far as older cars,if you pick up a early 60's better crawl up under it and look for the demon RUST...you may easily end up with a truck load of money in body,frame,floor replacements that would take from the engine $$$,it may not be nearly as reliable on the road,and the gas may be every station,all my pre 70 chevys are eat slam up with that hidden RUST,everytime you fix one area something else is found,seems i just keep throwing money at it>>>my newer after '80 chevys never had much more than the wear and tear stuff,so i guess it depends on longer range plans and $$$ available!!

 

Right, I'm under 21... definitely better for insurance for me if I got an older vehicle. I think that it would be possible to turn an old '60-something Chevy into a "modern" vehicle, by installing updated components (like ABS, for example). Granted, that would cost some money but it would make for a more drivable car in the long run. I'm aware of the rust situation too... it will be tough finding a decent car without a lot of rust. There's really no way around that, so I'm just taking it as an implication of buying an older car.

As far as security measures are concerned... couldn't I wire up a solenoid or something to open the fuel line only whenever the key is turned over? That way, there would really be no way they could drive the car away since it wouldn't be getting any fuel (I'm not exactly sure how thieves hot-wire cars). Obviously, I'd still be vulnerable to someone taking it away in a truck.

 

on earlier chevys unless of course a major restification is in the plans

 

well any smart thief would follow you around a few days, not saying that many thiefs are smart though.

But i think they'd notice you taking the coil wire off everytime you leave the car, all they'd have to do would be get another coil wire, actually just about any coil wire would do. and then the car is theirs.

On a car with an electric fuel pump you can just wire in a switch that dosnt turn the fuel pump on unless you flip the switch. Problem is this car would have a mechanical fuel pump.

Your best bet would be to wire up a ignition kill switch, and hide the switch somewhere....

 

See, I'm talking about putting a valve of some sort actually before the fuel pump. This valve wouldn't be opened unless I flipped a switch or turned the key (assuming it was wired to the key switch). This way, fuel wouldn't be going anywhere, even though the pump may be running.

 

blue86iroc, I'd have to agree with some of the others on getting the impala. I just got done putting a new motor/tranny, wheels/tires, and totally re-did the interior.But, if someone came up to me with a 63-65chevy II or a 63-64 impala, my camaro would be gone as quick as i could sign the title.

 

it would be MUCH easier just to make an ignition kill switch than plumbing into the fuel lines and setting up some kind of soliniod...

and you'd get the exact same effect, just different system...

 

As for insurance....it may be cheaper, but they wont give you Jack for the car if you total it....unless you come up with proof of the Mods...guess what, so much for the old car vs sports car theory...PS you ever drive a Low rider in the winter?